Richard Pellicci: “Richard Pellicci, 65 Radnor Avenue. Um, just an observation concerning the DEC presentation. I find it very funny Trustee Gallelli that you’re now concerned with truck traffic on 129. It didn’t seem to bother you when we were fighting Metro Enviro for 10 years trying to get rid of it out of the village.

I really wasn’t going to to come here tonight because I just get too, ah, emotionally aggravated.

Um, let’s see. I’ve now lived in this village for fifteen years and I’m sorry to say, Trustee Gallelli, you are truly the most divisive individual on the board. As your past and present actions prove time and time again. Trustee Olver, as I said face-to-face to you at the Democratic committee’s dog and pony show on Saturday as it spilled out into the parking lot, you sir are my biggest disappointment. With your credentials and promises of working together with the entire board, you turned out to be just another follower of Trustee Gallelli’s deeply-rooted agenda for Croton. You amateur planners, including former-trustee Wiegman who so inarticulately read down a list of ten reality checks revitalizing Harmon and South Riverside Avenue. But admitted that the village does not own any of these properties. So, you should have saved your wish lists and opinions for next Christmas because maybe Santa Claus can drop off some new businesses here in Croton on Christmas Eve.

And once and for all Trustee Gallelli, why don’t you just be honest and admit that this charade of yours, your attempt of a shadow government, is all about bringing in low-income, affordable housing into the Harmon section. Start working together as a complete board or resign your position on the board, as you have done previously. I can keep you busy weeding plots around the village. It is actually very fulfilling to accomplish something in this village.

In closing, I noticed that someone was photographing the attendees at the forum. If this is anyone having to do with the blog, you should be aware of the following: Many residents including many business owners have expressed concern about being featured on this site. I just happen to have run into two of them today. Two business owners today that told me the same thing. To the Democrats on the board, your continued involvement with the blog is helping it tear a community apart. That’s not my opinion, its the opinion of two of its former founders. Thank you.”

After hearing Trustee Tom Brennan thank Richard Pellicci for his oration in this video, I decided to search for more information.

After Googling “Trustee Tom Brennan,” I found a video clip on YouTube that montages episodes in which Mr. Brennan “wastes more governmental time,” to quote ex-Trustee Don Daubney, discussing Crotonblog.

Just to clarify, Mr. Pellicci has never served as a member of Croton’s board of trustees—or has ever been appointed to serve on any of its volunteer committees.

And besides making regular appearances at board meetings, like in this video, he is also well-known as the person responsible for crafting attack-style political cartoons against Ann Gallelli that often appear in the letters section of the Gazette.

There’s lots more on this guy… Just Google him. You won’t believe what turns up.

i am usually not one for trashing someone on the board, and i have never met mr. pellicci, but i disagree that this blog is anything but great for this community. if anyone in politics has an issue with the voice of the people, you should become a veterinarian or a butcher where you do not have to deal with people that have opinions.

clearly mr. pellicci has spent more time gardening than looking around croton. not to mention that, he did not pick up a copy of “gardening 101” because we all know not to pick weeds since they come back in multiples. clearly he must be a horrible gardener.

there are weeds growing so high in front of some vacant businesses that you can’t even see the front door. it is a scary time for croton and mr. pellicci is wasting time picking weeds, instead of finding solutions to prevent the weeds from coming back. he doesn’t even know how ridiculous that sounds and he is on the board? scary.

i feel that mr. pelicci should take a more positive stance and open his mind a little. petty finger pointing is just plain unproductive and adolescent. wake up and smell the fertilizer - it is time for solutions mr Mr. Pellicci, not weed picking.

At last Monday’s village board meeting, former Republican trustee Don Daubney excoriated Republican mayor Greg Schmidt and Republican trustees Brennan and Konig for “wasting governmental time” by discussing Crotonblog so extensively and repeatedly at village board meetings. Mr. Daubney advised them sagely to ignore it. He had hardly left the podium when Richard Pellicci picked up the ball, already whistled dead by “Coach” Daubney, and tried to run with it. Mr. Pellicci further wasted governmental time, and made a mockery of the period called “citizen participation” by issuing a warning to Democratic trustees not to post on Crotonblog.

Mr. Pellicci, who sees himself as Croton’s self-appointed official gardener as well as its unofficial conscience, gave another uneven performance piece. His suggestion to Ms. Gallelli: “I can keep you busy weeding plots around the village” was a pathetic attempt to call public attention to his annual voluntary planting of the traffic circle at the junction of Benedict Boulevard, Cleveland Drive and Arlington Avenue.

Perhaps if this village took better annual horticultural care of its public properties, Mr. Pellicci’s ministrations would be unnecessary. We don’t know what church Mr. Pellicci attends, but we would remind him that Judaism and Christianity both teach adherents that “the good deed done in public is its own reward,” the latter in the Gospel According to Matthew.

Crotonblog has been looking for clues to the reasons for the outlandish public performances not only by the mayor but also by Mr. Pellicci, who has made himself a quasi public figure by his repeated pronouncements and emotional outbursts in public. One clue is the fact that they are both registered Democrats. Perhaps they would exhibit less internal upheaval and more stability if they merely changed their registrations to that of the party of their obvious choice.

During the Civil War, the vocal group of Democrats in the North who opposed the Civil War were called “Copperheads.” They demanded an immediate peace settlement with the Confederates because the war was bad for business. The name Copperheads was given to them by their opponents, the Republicans, because the deadly copperhead snake can strike without warning (unlike the rattlesnake), They were also called “Peace Democrats” and “Butternuts,” the color of the Confederate uniform. Crotonblog is surprised that Croton Democrats do not denominate Messrs. Schmidt and Pellicci as “Copperheads” and read them out of the party.

Unbelievable, this man is emotionally and mentally challenged. Ann is one of the most decent, honest and straightforward people you will ever meet and Croton is privileged to have her as a trustee. I stopped my subscription to the Gazette years ago because of the tone of the letters and now we have the same thing at a village board meeting. Our Mayor can shout down a young man who is asking some hard questions but all his minion can say after this vicious and uncalled-for attack is thank you?
This village is in trouble, right here in River City folks, just ask Don at Wonderous Things about his experience with a potential buyer who bolted after taking a look around the village. PEOPLE WAKE UP, not much time left to try to plug the holes in the levee.

While you are painting Trustee Gallelli with a broad brush in calling her an “amateur planner,” I hope you’ll recall that then-Trustee Greg Schmidt also voted for passage of Croton’s Comprehensive Plan in 2003.

And further, at that time, Trustee Schmidt was president of the Croton Chamber of Commerce.